This work is a non-fiction that reads like an excellent historical novel. It focuses on the experiences of William Dodd and his family during Dodd’s time as the first ambassador to Germany for America during Hitler’s rise to power. Although at first the Americans can feel the enthusiasm for the “New Germany,” several accounts of atrocities begin to mount. As evidence of Jewish persecution builds, censorship becomes commonplace, and frightening new laws are enacted, Dodd realizes something terrible is afoot that requires intervention, yet America remains largely ignorant and indifferent. This book is well written, well researched, and an all around interesting perspective into the personal history of a family that is representative of a much greater social past.